Valley reacts to Biden election dropout

PHARR, Texas ( ValleyCentral ) — Since President Joe Biden has dropped out of the race, many in the Valley are considering their options this coming election.

Although President Biden endorsed Vice President Kamala Harris, the nominee will be decided by the Democratic National Convention.

Over 180 delegates, who initially supported Biden are already supporting Harris.

University of Texas Rio Grande Valley Assistant Professor of Political Science, Andrew Smith says this move opens the door for Harris and other democrats to throw their name in as the potential nominee.

“I do notice a lot more enthusiasm among Democrats on the grounds, so to speak, but the risk is that you are dealing with the unknown. The convention is going to be somewhat chaotic.”

Though Harris is the main endorsement so far, Smith breaks down how the race will go if more candidates receive them.

“If other candidates get endorsed, there’s not a clear winner. Then you go to what amounts to a two-day primary.”

Smith believes voter turnout will increase regardless of who the candidate is.

Voters we spoke to, however, expressed different opinions over the impact a new candidate may have in November.

One local, Vincent Salazar says, “If anything, I think there would be a decrease in voters, because I feel like Biden was the name to beat Trump, and especially around the youth, today’s generation.”

Another local, Jacob Villareal instead thinks, “It’s a good thing that he dropped out. I think a lot of people were kind of saying that he was not quite up to the task of being President again.”

The official Democratic Presidential Nominee is set to be announced during the Convention by August 19.

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